Overview & Reviews

Mitsubishi has built its brand in the United States with a selection of cars and SUVs that tend to offer above-average performance and style. The parent company has its roots in producing commercial vehicles for its home market of Japan.

A Japanese word meaning "three diamonds," Mitsubishi was founded in by Yataro Iwasaki, a descendant of samurais, in the early 1870s. The company's initial focus was on shipping, but it quickly diversified into areas such as mining and ship repair. In 1917, Mitsubishi unveiled the Model A, Japan's first series production passenger car.

It wasn't until 1960, with the launch of the compact Mitsubishi 500, that the company began producing passenger vehicles on a large scale. That decade also saw the launch of other Mitsubishi light passenger vehicles like the 360 Van and 360 Pickup. The company also distinguished itself on the racetrack during this decade, taking top honors in Japan's Grand Prix.

Mitsubishi's automobile production arm was officially spun off into a company of its own with the establishment of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in 1970. The company's Colt made its way to American shores in 1971, the same year in which Chrysler purchased a 15 percent stake in the new company. However, the Colt wasn't sold under the Mitsubishi name, but rather under the Dodge brand, reflecting Chrysler's interest in the company. By the end of the decade, Mitsubishi was producing more than 1 million cars per year.

In 1982, Mitsubishi began selling cars in the U.S. under its own name. Through the '80s it offered a variety of cars for the states, including the subcompact Mirage, turbocharged Starion sports car and midsize Galant sedan. Mitsubishi hit its stride in the '90s, thanks to the popularity of the Eclipse sport coupe and 3000GT sports car in the U.S. and the turbocharged Lancer Evolution in other parts of the world.

Chrysler made the most of its partnership, as it used Mitsubishi platforms under many of its models. The Eclipse, in particular, was a key vehicle produced by the Diamond Star Motors partnership. In 1998, Chrysler merged with Daimler-Benz to become DaimlerChrysler. Mitsubishi's partnership continued with DaimlerChrysler for a few years but was financially terminated by 2003.

The new millennium has been a struggle for Mitsubishi. Its vehicles have grown stale with consumers and sales have wavered. At one point the company was forced to admit that it had systematically covered up vehicle defects in Japan. On the upside, though, the company's compact, high-performance sedan, the Lancer Evolution, has been a continuing success in the United States. Going forward, Mitsubishi plans to revitalize its brand by developing environmentally friendly vehicles (such as its all-electric "i" hatchback) that are still fun to drive.

User Reviews:

• 

  Love Car but dont buy from Nashua - 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Glenn - June 13 - 8:00 pm

  This SUV has lived up to the good reviews I read before buying. This XLS AWD V6 handles well on the roads and corners with decent acceleration. I love the options with XLS and choose the XLS which includes the option of Leather Heated Front Seats, among other decent options including Satellite. When I negotiated the price of the car, it supposedly came with Satellite which was an option I was looking for. However, after the dealership gave me a short demonstration on how to activate the options of the car, which I verified verbally and was given info from the dealership to activate. I learned it did not. I had to pay for it because it was not on the sales slip. Big Mistake on my part.

• 

  Has Been a Pretty Good Car - 2001 Mitsubishi Galant
  By pc2mac - June 13 - 1:30 pm

  Just traded my Galant in after putting 86,000 miles on it. Still drove great. However, the resale values on Mitsubishis are pretty bad so beware of buying a new one. Never had any problems with this car with the exception of squeaky brakes that the dealer never was able to fix. Pretty roomy for four people and it is comfortable and quiet for long trips. V6 200 horsepower engine is really nice. Nice looking exterior, the best of all the model years. Cant stand the look of the current Galants.

• 

  200,000 miles and still rolling smooth - 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By imanilove - June 13 - 8:56 am

  Im a second owner, I had this car for over 6 years now. This car has been through the ringer and has been dogged out. Like most cars some issues have arisen such as the tie rods, and timing belt which I think is quite normal for a car with 200,000 miles. Other than that I just kept up on regular with oil changes and its still riding strong. I would recommend a lancer to anyone looking for a long lasting car. Its certainly not a luxury car but its a damn good car.

• 

  mitsubishi montero sport review - 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By the toddster - June 12 - 2:00 am

  Fine dependable car. Have owned it for nearly 4 years and never experienced a problem. Less horsepower than most mid-sized SUVs, but I didnt buy it to tow anything. Cant go wrong with this vehicle.

• 

  Love My Car - 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By yoseph - June 11 - 11:56 am

  I purch my car new and now have it for over 10 years and it has 175,000 miles on it...There was a saying that Mitsubishi has that said just get up and go and man that is true..My car has given me no problems at all

• 

  Eh... - 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By DV - June 6 - 9:23 am

  Came from Hondas and Acuras so this was somewhat of a let down as far as build quality goes - interior has some rattles - brakes squeaked at first - paint quality is terrible - clear coat is coming off already on my bumper. Exterior design is great except for the hideous wheel well gap you can fit a small body into - whats the deal with Mitsu and their big wheel wells on eclipses?? As of right now, so long as I dont have any major issues and she doesnt leave me stranded, Im happy. Going forward though, Im gonna stick with what I know and thats Honda.

• 

  Own SUV - 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By SalaiTuk - June 2 - 10:00 am

  Fun to Drive but need more HP.

• 

  Great for the Price - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Dan - May 30 - 4:20 am

  This is our second Outlander (owned 2003). Was happy then and am very happy now. Bought this one used with all the options exc. Nav. This car, even with substandard interior materials and pronounced road noise is super fun to drive. My wife likes all of the storage in my Outlander. Road noise is pronounced but the stereo is out of the world. If you live in a pot hole infested area I would not recommend the car, but the highway ride is super smooth. This is the best used SUV. Overall for the money this is the car to buy. While its not perfect, it offers more stuff and good reliability for not much money in used format. Im considering already buying a 2010 used in 2010.

• 

  Mixed Feelings... - 1997 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By rowe0816 - May 27 - 3:46 pm

  I love my Diamante, especially since its my first car. Styling is beautiful (looks like a BMW) and is the definition of luxury. Brakes do wear fast, and transmission does jerk a lot. Gas mileage is actually decent considering it has a V6 engine (I usually get 18-20 MPG). Around 100,000 miles, it seemed like every part needed replaced, radiator, starter, 2 head gaskets. It had a lot of mechanical problems which shouldnt be happening at only 100,000 miles. But all things considered, its a fair car, and I got a great deal on it so its hard to complain about that.

• 

  STILL GOING STRONG AFTER 13 YEARS - 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By kycat52 - May 24 - 9:46 pm

  I bought this Mirage new in February 2000, Ive driven it for 13 years and it still gets 34 mpg. I drove it in Washington DC from Feb 2000 to Jun 2007, 76 miles a day, in heavy traffic and on the beltway. It got 40 mpg on the highway then. This car amazed local mechanics in that it has NO oil leaks, everything still works and all I have done is routine maintenance. In 2012, I had to put new struts all around and outer tie rod ends on both sides, other than that it has been routine maintenance. I plan to drive it until it is out of service. Then Ill probably buy another Mitsubishi to replace it.